Irish Daily Star - Inside Sport
MUNSTER SHC
ANTRIM v WEXFORD
Today (3pm): Antrim v Wexford, Corrigan Park, C Lyons (Cork) -
GAAGO
IT IS hard to be positive about Antrim’s prospects as their form all year has been poor.
Bar the Dublin league game, which they had won but allowed a high ball to slip to the net late on to fall to defeat, they’ve struggled to compete.
Injuries, retirements and absentees have taken a toll in Darren Gleeson’s fth year in charge of the Saffrons.
They have had to try and pick themselves up quickly after succumbing to a heavy defeat by Kilkenny last weekend, losing by 5-30 to 0-13.
Getting themselves going again after a 32 point loss, in which they managed just six points from play, will be difficult.
They need to get into full backlash mode and get into it fast.
Wexford manager Keith Rossiter has kept faith with the team that let slip victory over Dublin last time out with the concession of two injury-time goals in a dramatic draw at Chadwicks Wexford Park.
They should be furious at the concession of those late goals — and tuned in to put that right, but will they have that ruthlessness when they didn’t show it late on last weekend?
Lee Chin (1-12) and Rory O’connor (0-4) hit 1-16 of Wexford’s 1-21.
Antrim know where to start if they’re to get anything out of this one.
HOME VERDICT:
1/14
GALWAY v KILKENNY
Tomorrow (2pm): Pearse Stadium, T Walsh (Waterford)
RTE
LET THE shadow-boxing begin.
There’s something innately wrong about a system where Galway and Kilkenny can pretty much have a free shot at each other on the same afternoon Cork and Clare are ghting for their lives.
Galway could afford to eld a shadow side against Carlow, and were almost caught. Again, wrong.
Kilkenny have injuries. Goalkeeper Eoin Murphy, Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody are all out.
That’s arguably three of their top ve or six players, while Mikey Carey isn’t in the 26.
In come Tommy Walsh, Billy Ryan and Owen Wall, with Aidan Tallis in goals. Tallis won an All-ireland under-20 title under Lyng in 2022.
New York-based Johnny Glynn is on the Galway bench and there’s a fair chance he could see action.
Cianan Fahy, David Burke, Brian Concannon and Conor Whelan replace Adrian Tuohey, Donal O’shea, John Cooney and Declan Mclaughlin.
Kilkenny might not score enough without the goal threat of Cody, while Galway, with home advantage, may need the win more after their last gasp defeat by the Cats in last year’s Leinster nal.
HOME VERDICT: DRAW
15/2 16/1 Wexford
DRAW
10/11 Galway
8/1
AWAY AWAY
11/10
HOME VERDICT: LIMERICK v TIPP
Tomorrow (4pm): Limerick v Tipperary, TUS Gaelic Grounds, L Gordon (Galway)
HOME DRAW VERDICT: CORK v CLARE
Tomorrow (2pm): Pairc Ui Chaoimh, J Owens (Wexford) -
GAAGO DRAW
Round 3
Round 3
Round 3
RTE
TIPP will be fresh and gunning for Limerick. A big start is vital.
The ve-in-a-row champions haven’t been ring on all cylinders.
But last weekend’s power-packed last quarter in the win over Clare was a big improvement on their insipid showing against Kilkenny in the league semi- nal.
You’d imagine the game will move them on to another level, but they’re de nitely missing Darragh O’donovan. The 70 minutes they got into Sean Finn should bring him on.
Mike Casey went off at the weekend so they’re being stretched, but Peter Casey is back from suspension in a timely boost.
Tipperary have handed rst championship starts to Eoghan Connolly and Sean Hayes.
The Mcgrath brothers, Noel and John, and Patrick Bonner Maher have been named on the bench, but Noel, if t, is a likely starter.
Limerick at home, with Gearóid Hegarty ying and the form Cian Lynch came into in the last 20 minutes against Clare, is ominous.
You’d expect a bounce back from the likes of Tom Morrissey, who was off colour last weekend.
AWAY
THIS one could well be decided by Clare’s state of mind after Limerick snatched victory from them last weekend.
If their heads aren’t right, they’re in bother and their season could go into free fall, but the same could also be said of Cork, who lost over in Waterford last weekend.
Clare could complain about one, if not two, square ball goals, but the Limerick train was coming and Clare struggled to muster a response.
Their opponents also hit 10 rst-half wides.
Brian Lohan’s side have a more settled look about them, with Cork making a whopping six changes from their defeat in Waterford.
That shouldn’t be the case at this stage of the season.
Last year Cork took every game to the wire in the Munster round robin and they’ll have to do the same again.
They’re left out Damien Cahalane, Mark Coleman, Conor Lehane, Ger Mellerick, Sean Twomey and Tommy O’connell.
Niall O’leary, Eoin Downey, Tim O’mahony, Ethan Twomey, Declan Dalton and Brian Hayes all come in. They should add a bit of steel.
Tony Kelly is likely to start for the Banner.
AWAY
Round 4
Round
Round 3
Round 3
Round 2 KO